The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-11
THE ANARCHISTS.

was a most horrible affair, and showed a
singular turn of mind. This man was
doomed to death, but his adherence of
an execution under law was so over
whelming that he preferred any form
OF death by his own hands to that pre-
scribed bv law, and it is difficult to con-
lecture any method of taking off more
desperate or requiring greater strength
of mind. This man was no coward, and,
in measure, gave up his life for cause.
However degrading and unworthy We
NAV esteem this cause, there is that in
any man who values his own life so
lightly that it does not weigh as
against principles which must COM
mand admiration. To man sane
of mind and imbued with an underlying
faith in a Supreme Being there can be
no utilization onabssic motives with any
one adopting anarchic reasoning and
less with one adopting the methods of
Anarchists. But there is that in the
history now making by and because of
Anarchists which should afford abund-
ant food for reflection in the minds of
the wise and the good.
We are taught that events which
happen from day to day are but effects
from causes which have operated how
long we cannot tell; or these even,s are
but the causes themselves reappesring
in new form. We are told also that
every tree brings forth after its own
kind: that events are the legiti-
mate offspring of certain condi-
lions, and that as these events are
good or bad they betoken the state or
condition that produced them just as
the humors in the blood are made Wis
lille on the surface of the body. We
are shocked and Mortified at the act
which has been the cause of bringing
Lingg, dead, and his associates living, to
their present just but lamentable con-
ditioR. If the philosophy OF the day be
true. we should rather be shocked that
in a civilized world conditions so des-
perate exist that they produce as their
natural and legitimate offspring such
events as the Haymsrket and the will
full destruction of life by men who glory
in their unholy deeds. Is there not
something desperately wrong in ciyili-
cation that produces such effects? For
the effect would not be there had the
cause been wanting.
The theory of the Mosaic law is life
for life, and it is the theory of the
aborigine. whose ways men now effect
to despise. The theory of the later law
is that retribution operates whole
somely upon those who, save for the
dread of retribution, would be offend
ers against good morals and the peace
of social institutions. With these
theories we have no disposition to quar-
rel, And so far as these men are con-
cerned, if the justice of man demands
their lives in expiation and satisfaction
of lives they have destroyed, we have
no quarrel with such justice and such
expiation.
But the question is: If these men shall
suffered death for their violations of
law, will society have done its duty?
Will such step prevent recurrence of
the awful fatality at the Haymarket,
Chicago for which these men are now
liable to suffer death If it be right that
these men should die, then there is
vast number in this country whose de-
ires are wrong, as the most strenuous
efforts making to secure the commuta
ton from death of the condemned men
hears witness. The principles which
. led to the Haymsrket tragedy are not
dead, neither do they sleep; and no
amount of legal proceedings, death |
penalties, nor combinations will cause |
cessation of their most rapid |
and unwholesome propagation. While
these survive, so long will there |
be men on whom death, save in |
particular forms, has no more fear than
bn the suicide Lingg.. Until there is a
ehanee in the sentiments of men, |
caused by a great deal more practice OF
irtues which we hear so loudly |
preached, there will be Anarchists, and |
Ihese will give life to their murderous |
thoughts by murderous assaults, and
be fear Of death, hedged about by all
be laws which the ingenuity OF men I
an devise, will be as nothing in their
Gay.
We should be shocked that the
viiized world has drifted into such in
ncerity and hollowness that there is
found, fat and fallow, for the
owth of anarchic, socialistic and
hilistic ideas. The surprise should /
1t be at the results we note. These
the enevitable offspring of evil |
oughts and unholy and murd rous !
sirss.